Late, Late Night FDL: Say It Isn’t So

The duo met half a century ago escaping from a gang fight. They still feel like brothers, their love of music undiminished

John Oates, 65, guitarist in Hall & Oates

We were teenagers in different bands waiting backstage to perform at a record hop – a teenage dance put on by disc jockeys. It was held in a bad neighbourhood in Philadelphia and a gang fight broke out in the crowd. Daryl and I both jumped into a freight elevator and went downstairs to leave and that’s the first time we met. Neither of us performed that night. {…}

Daryl and I are more like brothers than actual friends. We’re very different as people, but we have this incredibly strong musical bond. He is creatively unsatisfied and that drives him forward. He’s very smart, and, in my opinion, has one of the greatest popular voices of all time.

Daryl Hall, 67, lead vocalist

People think John and I live in the same house and spend all our time together. It couldn’t be further from the truth. When we are off stage he does what he does and I do it my way. We do spend a lot of time on planes together, though. We have a very familial relationship. We are more like brothers. {…}

The region that we both come from is what makes our music unique. John brought a lot of southern influences from his connections to country and bluegrass music. I have a background in gospel, church music and R&B. The combination of all of this is what makes our music what it is.

We get along just fine. We weren’t – and aren’t – very much alike: we have different interests. But the differences aren’t important, what’s important is what we share, – and that’s music.